Interested in Paediatrics?
Many medical students enjoy their paediatric attachments at undergraduate level but aren't so certain that they want to do this as a career that they are ready to sign up for the training programme to start at the end of FY2. If you do, great....but check out the page on applying for paediatric training here. Also take a look at some advice from the LSoP recruitment subgroup on how best to apply.
Others feel like they need to explore the speciality a little first and want to spend some time in a clinical fellow or "FY3" role first. There is a wide range of these in most specialities in London. These are not set up by the RCPCH or Health Education England, rather locally recruited and funded by individual trusts. Most will appear on NHS jobs.
Paediatric Training in London
Just a few reasons to train in London:
- All the sub-specialities are here
- An active and involved trainee's committee
- Incredibly diverse population leads to diverse pathology
- Incredible consultant body!
- Many hospital beds in a small geographical area
- Lots of trainees- sociable and great networking
- Loads of CV building opportunities- lot's of QI work and service change going on, many high quality research institutes.
- Some of the best hospitals in the country.
- One of the highest number of approved OOPEs and LTFT trainees compared to other deaneries
- London weighting allowance- a little bit more pay.
- London is a great city to live in.
Similar to the rest of the UK, training is split into level 1 (ST 1-3), level 2 (ST 4-5) and level 3 (ST 6-8). MRCPCH is required to progress to level 2 training, and London trainees will be able to benefit from the wide range of LSoP supported courses to help pass the exam, such as the MRCPCH website. For level 2, we run teaching evenings at the Royal Society of Medicine.
There are 30 training sites in London, divided into 3 sectors – NW, NE and Central, South. London is a big place, so the rotations are based in a single sector for ST 1-5 and then pan-London for ST 6-8, to reduce commuting and to promote connections between trainees and also with TPDs in that sector. London trainees are fortunate in their access to a large number of tertiary facilities, allowing training in all subspecialities.